Anyone here from Philadelphia or the Lehigh Valley? Please read!

Parent Cafe
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<p>Hi, parents, I thought I might ask you all a question… this is a long post but I have a lot to say ;)</p>

<p>I’m 22, just graduated from college in Boston and accepted a job offer with my first-choice employer. The two-year contract has me in my company’s HQ in Los Angeles for 7 months, and then I spend the next 17 months at a smaller part of the company in the Lehigh Valley where I’ll be able to take on more responsibilities, grow professionally, etc. The idea is that at the end of those two years I’ll probably move either back to HQ or to one of the bigger offices in NYC, Chicago, etc.—or, of course, I could move onto a different company. The point, in short, being that I will not stay on in the Lehigh Valley/PA area after those 17 months are up.</p>

<p>I am from a huge city (foreign, 20 million people) and prefer the city lifestyle. I need/breathe art, film, gourmet dining, well-traveled and well-read people, etc. I’m excited about my upcoming stint L.A. because I know I’ll find all of that there… Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not completely down on moving to PA—number-one on my list is the professional growth I’m sure I’ll experience in the smaller Lehigh Valley office, but I am increasingly wary of how I’ll fare socially/emotionally there—I want to be a happy person.</p>

<p>If I were to live in the Lehigh Valley, close to work, I’ve been nearly convinced by everyone I’ve spoken to that I should live in Bethlehem as it is the more “culturally astute” place in the Valley.</p>

<p>However, I am considering living in Philly and commuting just so that I can still live in a city. The added bonus is that my brother goes to school at Penn so my only relative in the U.S. would be right next door. Also, I know people who’ve lived in Philly who’ve convinced me I’d be very happy with the art/cultural scene there.</p>

<p>My questions, then, are:</p>

<p>A) How feasible is it to commute from Philly to the Lehigh Valley and back every day of the work week? How much time are we talking here? Is there a commuter rail option or is driving the only way? And if I were to live in Philly, which section of Philly would make the commute to Lehigh Valley shorter (I heard traffic in the city is bad)?
B) Is Bethlehem not as bad as I am making it out to be in my head? Is there a large population of recent college graduates there? (I’m afraid that my co-workers will be my only social group!) Who are they (yuppies, grad students, etc.)? What do they do for fun?
C) Is there a good compromise—i.e. somewhere smack in between Bethlehem and Philly? Or should I really just pick one place or the other?</p>

<p>I am not moving to PA for another year, so I have a lot of time to consider my options, but I’d like to hear your opinions, advice, personal anecdotes, etc.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>I am from the Philadelphia area, but I am not personally familiar with what Bethlehem has to offer, so I cannot comment on that. I am sure you can see from Google maps that the distance from Center City Philadelphia to Bethlehem is almost 70 miles and they say it takes an hour and 17 minutes. It will take longer during rush hour, and there will be unpredictable traffic delays at times. I am not sure if your job is closer to Philadelphia than Bethlehem is, but it will still be very long to do on a daily basis, especially when weather is bad. In my opinion, that is too far to commute for work. How much time would you actually have to do anything in Philadelphia on a weekday by the time you get home? I don’t know what kind of job you will be taking, but you may find that your days are long and be glad to have a short trip home. You can easily go to Philadelphia or New York on weekends or days off from the Bethlehem area. In my opinion, you would end up regretting choosing to live so far away from your work.</p>

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<p>Lolabelle, don’t consider the longer commute. I totally understand your concerns re living and working in a smaller city, however, here are some things to consider:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>17 months will go by very quickly, and, it’s a flash in the pan in a career. If this is where you will develop great resume value, and there are few things to do, use the time to throw yourself 200% into your work - consider it an investment in your future. </p></li>
<li><p>A friend of mine once told me “we have to go where it’s raining”, meaning, raining money. He was sooooo right. Often in a career you will find that you may have to spend time in a city that isn’t your first choice, but, you sort of work through it, so that you can get into a position where you can call the shots on locations. </p></li>
<li><p>You can never know what will change once you get involved in your company. For example, something may shift, and you may find that there are ways around the Lehigh assignment, or, perhaps you can otherwise transfer internally. Nothing is always 100% absolute in these situations. </p></li>
<li><p>Long commutes are best to be avoided at all costs - for one thing, the cost of gas is high, and, time spent sitting in traffic is time lost from productivity. </p></li>
<li><p>You may find that you actually LIKE the smaller city. Certainly, there will be reduced stress, etc. But in any case 17 months will go by very quickly IF you use the time and presumably slower pace to your advantage. Plus, living costs are likely to be lower compared to LA or other large cities, so, use this to your advantage as well, by building your savings and investments.</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>That is not a feasible commute. Don’t even consider it- traffic is terrible. Professionally, it is a big mistake to commute that far. You will be perceived as not wanting to engage in the community in which you work, and activities with your peers/co-workers will be limited. Suck it up and live near work. That said, Bethlehem is pretty awful (I am a Phila area native). I would take this opportunity to experience a different lifestyle and check out smaller town life. There is a lot to be said for the smaller towns in the Lehigh Valley. I even like Easton better than Bethlehem- it has Lafayette. There are some neat small towns and rural communities. You will get recommendations from co-workers before your relocation. You can still get into Philadelphia do do the big city things.</p>

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<p>I have only visited both places, but do have a couple of comments. One, you can live between the two - shortening the commute. Although there are pros and cons to that strategy as well. Two, if you live in Bethlehem, you can make the “commute” to Philadelphia for culture, shopping, restaurants and you can do it when the spirit moves you - not every day, rain snow or shine, tired or not. Three, although the two cities are not quite so parallel, we moved to Portland, Maine several years ago. Being a city person, myself, I clung to the security blanket that it was only 2 hours from Boston. Knowing I could go to Boston for a city fix as needed gave me comfort. Although I do love to visit Boston, I actually feel the “need” probably less than once a year. Four, you can think of the months in Lehigh Valley as a cultural expedition - learn the ways of an area quite different from what you’re used to. Think of yourself as a reporter and really observe and enjoy. Five, you probably know that there are several colleges/universities in the Lehigh Valley. Lehigh and Lafayette are the two that I have visited, but there are others. Where there are universities, there is culture. So make sure you check those resources.</p>

<p>Good luck and congratulations on the great opportunities.</p>

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<p>Ditto the above comments on commuting from Philadelphia proper to Allentown or Bethlehem – simply too far. You could, I suppose, live in a far north suburb of Philadelphia and commute in. But that might be the worst of both worlds – still a long commute, and you still wouldn’t have the city lifestyle. </p>

<p>Bethlehem vs. Allentown. I’m biased, we lived in the West End of Alllentown and loved it.Allentown does have a lot of cultural opportunities (Baum School of Art, the Orchestra, all the Muhlenberg activities, etc.). But overall I agree that Bethlehem has a bit more of that. But just to warn you, neither one has what you would consider the city lifestyle. </p>

<p>Don’t despair, visiting Philadelphia is easy. It’s also very easy (surprisingly so) to get into NYC on the Bieber bus. There are people who use the bus to commute into NYC – I just used it to get into the city with no hassle when I wanted to. <a href=“http://www.biebertourways.com/showschedules.asp[/url]”>http://www.biebertourways.com/showschedules.asp&lt;/a&gt; The Wescosville stop is in Allentown, and the Hellertown stop is near Bethlehem. </p>

<p>Good luck and congrats.</p>

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<p>I lived in both Bethlehem and Allentown, although quite a long time ago, and only for 18 months. I worked in Allentown and decided to move to Bethlehem, because I liked its downtown better and it was marginally closer to NYC. Lehigh is right there, so I think that helps Bethlehem. There are colleges in Allentown too – but when I lived there, the Allentown downtown was a truly dead place, killed by the nearby mall. I wasn’t impressed with Easton at all. The west end of Allentown is very nice, but in a more suburban way.</p>

<p>The commute to Philadelphia is not easy or quick, so don’t do that. There is no public transportation. Another advantage to the area is you can get into NYC pretty easily, either by car or bus. </p>

<p>I was in my mid-20s when I lived there, I grew up in NYC – and I survived. I have some fond memories of the area. </p>

<p>Just be warned that you will never hear Billy Joel’s song Allentown played on the local radio stations.</p>

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<p>

And that’s a bad thing? :slight_smile: Anyway, as local legend goes the song is actually about Bethlehem, but the rhyme didn’t work.</p>

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<p>I know nothing about the area, but I’ll throw in the opinion that your focus for that short time should be the job and working 24/7 to position yourself for whatever job you want in that company. Then you can really consider exactly where and how you want to live.</p>

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<p>Although working 24/7 is never a great thing mid-term or long-term, I think UCgradmary has a valid point. Being in a place that doesn’t really intrigue you can be a blessing in disguise if you want to really devote yourself to focus on the career. Another way to see the glass half full.</p>

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<p>Hi, everyone—</p>

<p>Wow, this really was the right place to start asking these questions. You’ve given me great feedback—even better than the feedback I’ve been getting on regional Philly/PA boards. Parents do often know best. ;)</p>

<hr>

<p>I hear what you’re all saying about it being a nearly unfeasible commute. I guess I figured since I’d read all those pieces in the NYT about people commuting from Philly and the Lehigh Valley every day into NYC—“the sixth borough”—I figured commuting from the L.Valley to Philly was probably feasible, too. I guess it comes down to picking what “quality of life” means to you. </p>

<p>Motheroftwo: thanks for emphasizing that I probably won’t even have time to use the city that often after work on weeknights.</p>

<p>Latetoschool: Thanks, too, for breaking it all down with your bullet points. I guess 17 months isn’t that long in the long-run. It’s just that a year and a half seems like forever to me now. You’re right that it’ll probably pass by a lot more quickly than I expect—particularly the first 6 and last 6 months. The middle 6 months might be a plateau, though…</p>

<p>Momofawildchild: Ohhh, I am so worried now with your comment that Bethlehem is “awful”. Could you elaborate??? … In any case, your comment that my co-workers/bosses will probably be unhappy that I don’t want to engage with the community I’m working in and them by moving far away straight-away is a very, very valid point, especially given my line of work… I was afraid of that and was trying to ignore that possibility, but now that you’ve said it again, I have to take it not-too-lightly.</p>

<p>Jmmom: Thanks for sharing your personal experience. It’s true that I may very well fall in love with the small-town life. I am looking forward to getting a dog, and doing more outdoorsy things I never do otherwise… but I worry that that’ll all get old fast. I guess a lot has to do with how my attitude is going in… and that attitude fluctuates regularly. Some days I really look forward to the change of pace I’ll have, especially after being in Los Angeles for 7 months right before; but then other days I start dreading it, imagining myself suffocated by loneliness… I guess I should point out here that I have a boyfriend who’s moving with me to L.A. and then would probably move back to Philly—but his job opportunities would be there, not in the Lehigh Valley… sigh, that’s another story, though.</p>

<p>Sly_vt: Thanks for sharing your personal experiences in the L. Valley. Could you say a little more about what I might expect to find in Bethlehem? Gourmet dining? Vintage clothing shops? Or none of that? I’m especially interested in the fact that you lived there at around the same time of your life as me… who were your friends? i.e., would you have any idea what kind of people my age live there? I understand it’s a college town, but I don’t want to be hanging out with undergraduates all the time when I’m already in my second year of the Real World (college was fun but it’s time to move on!). So what did you do for fun? Did you go into NYC or Philly often?</p>

<p>UCgradmary: Yes, I know, you’re right. The time will be mostly about throwing myself into my professional growth. I am 100% positive that my job will make me very happy—it’s just that I’m worried about my social life, etc… I wish I could have both assured—and I feel I would if it were in a larger city…</p>

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<p>Lolabelle, have you chosen a job/career that lends itself to living in large cities?</p>

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<p>The Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike that connects Philly and the Lehigh Valley is a horrible road - dangerous and often with horrible traffic. I also heard the other day that they are talking about widening it, which would certainly benefit in the long run, but living through the construction, as you might well be doing, would be a nightmare. I’ll second Easton – where Lafayette is. I didn’t spend a lot of time there, but was impressed with the “feel” of the place. Ditto Bethlehem being dreary. That being said, just north lie the Pocono Mountains. Not “mountains” as you would think of them, but some lovely opportunities for outdoor activities in surprisingly pretty natural settings. I’d say, get the dog and enjoy your time there. Philly and NYC are both very practical for weekend or even day trips, but you wouldn’t want to do it every day. The people I know who live in Philly and work in NYC either leave at 6 AM and get home at 9PM, or end up subletting an apt. in NYC to have the option of staying over. Or, for those just out of college, crashing on a friend’s floor.</p>

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<p>UCgradmary: Yes, my career definitely lends itself to living in bigger cities… that’s why I consider this whole Lehigh Valley thing to be so temporary. It’s also why I was so surprised when my job offer involved some time in a smaller place. I was definitely emotionally unprepared for that possibility.</p>

<p>Ivoryk: Thanks for letting me know about the highway—definitely something to consider. About Easton: could you elaborate on why you preferred it to Bethlehem? I had heard Easton was more “dangerous”?.. Anyway, on your NYC-Philly commuter friends: wow. Just wow.</p>

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<p>Bethlehem is dreary. It was dreary when I was in high school (with the dinosaurs) and it still is. Think old steel town where a high percentage of families have faced layoffs and financial struggles. Of course, there are nice areas and good places to eat. It isn’t a total dump- it just isn’t anyone’s dream city. The many universities in the area DO add a lot, however. I spend a lot of time in the Poconos and love it. So-Bethlehem’s dreariness is not a problem because there are lots of escapes.</p>

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<p>My 2 cents isn’t so much different from anybody else’s. Without traffic, it’s only about 40 minutes from my house in northwest Philly to Allentown, and you would be making a reverse commute, but still you would have to plan on leaving for work before 7 to ensure little traffic, and there’s always some accident shutting down the Northeast Extension. And . . . you wouldn’t want to live in northwest Philly anyway – too sedate.</p>

<p>There is an intermediate option: The Quakertown area is very popular for young people starting out in first jobs in Philly, because it’s cheap. It’s really the outer edge of commutability to Philadelphia, and it’s closer to Allentown than to Philly. If you lived there, you would have a 20-30 minute commute to Allentown/Bethlehem, and it would be somewhat easier to get yourself in to Philadelphia and back on weekends. It’s a soulless, suburban area, but a soulless, suburban area with a lot of 20-somethings with jobs.</p>

<p>Personally, though, I’d opt for Bethlehem or Easton.</p>

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<p>MomofWC: Could you compare Bethlehem to Easton, then? How would you characterize either city?</p>

<p>JHS: Thanks for chiming in. Could you tell me a little more about Quakertown? Is there nothing but residences there—i.e. is it a “bedroom community”? Or are there restaurants/shops there, too? And could you elaborate on why you would pick Bethlehem or Easton over Qtown? (And which would you prefer—B or E?)</p>

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<p>There is a big difference between commuting to NYC and commuting to Philly. Most commuters take the Bieber Bus to and from NYC. That’s the bus line I take when I go up there for a weekend. And the commute from Easton to Allentown often gets backed up (a lot of my coworkers are from there and they often have 45 min-hr drives). I would suggest living somewhere near Allentown, I’m sure any of us from this area could recommend areas for you to live.</p>

<p>Lola, my boyfriend lives in Q-town. It’s a nice town which is kind of in between your two areas. They have really good pizza, we get it every Friday night. There are shops downtown however I’ve only ever been in a few (we get lunch on Saturdays at Sines which is a 5 & Dime place.) </p>

<p>I’m not a fan of traffic at all in Bethlehem… but I am not a fan of city driving.</p>

<p>I myself have been looking at homes in the Coopersburg area, so maybe you could find a nice apartment near there. It’s in the Lehigh valley but kind of between Bethlehem and Quakertown. There is a great outdoors shopping area called the promenade in Center Valley which is in between allentown and quakertown and I love shopping there and their movie theater is excellent. <a href=“http://www.thepromenadeshopsatsauconvalley.com/[/url]”>http://www.thepromenadeshopsatsauconvalley.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I really don’t know enough about Bethlehem or Easton, except some friends used to live in Easton and liked it, and Bethlehem seems to have some character that Allentown lacks. Whenever I’ve been to Quakertown, it has seemed like a bunch of cheap apartment complexes, but I’ve been there because nice young people my wife or I work with wind up living there. Yes, I think it’s a bedroom community, but it may be a bedroom community of people like you, which might not be so bad.</p>

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<p>Easton isn’t so great, either. It is hard to differentiate the three places since they sort of blend together. It will depend on where you can find an area within those communities that appeals to you. There will be one or more in each town. You have some time- see where people at your work live and explore around. No one on a message board can really make the choice for you. The key will be getting to and from work without having to use the Northeast Extension.</p>